Hiku and Kawelu

Not far from the summit of Hualalai, on the island of Hawaii, in the cave on the southern side of the ridge, lived Hina and her son, the kupua, or demigod, Hiku. All his life long as a child and a youth, Hiku had lived alone with his mother on this mountain summit, and had never once been permitted to descend to the plains below to see the abodes of men and to learn of their ways. From time to time, his quick ear had caught the sound of the distant hula (drum) and the voices of the gay merrymakers. Often had he wished to see the fair forms of those who danced and sang in those far-off cocoanut groves. But his mother, more experienced in the ways of the world, had never given her consent. Now, at length, he felt that he was a man, and as the sounds of mirth arose on his ears, again he asked his mother to let him go for himself and mingle with the people on the shore. His mother, seeing that his mind was made up to go, reluctantly gave her consent and warned him not to stay too long, but to return in good time. So, taking in his hand his faithful arrow, Pua Ne, which he always carried, he started off.

ハワイ島のフアラライの頂からさほど遠くない、尾根の南側の洞穴に、ヒナと、その息子であるクプア、すなわち半神のヒクが住んでいた。ヒクは子どものころから若者になるまでずっと、この山の頂で母と二人きりで暮らし、下の平地に降りて人の住まいを見、そのならわしを知ることを、ただの一度も許されなかった。ときおり、その鋭い耳は遠くのフラ(太鼓)の音や、陽気に騒ぐ者たちの声をとらえた。あの遠い椰子の木立で踊り歌う人々の美しい姿を見たいと、幾度も願った。けれども世のならわしをよく知る母は、決して承知しなかった。そして今、ヒクはようやく自分が一人前の男だと感じ、また浮かれ騒ぐ音が耳に届くと、ふたたび母に、自分で行って岸辺の人々に交じることを許してくれと頼んだ。母は、息子の心がもう決まっているのを見て、しぶしぶ承知し、あまり長居をせず、頃合いを見て帰るようにと言い含めた。そこでヒクは、いつも携えている頼みの矢プア・ネを手に取り、出かけていった。

This arrow was a sort of talisman, possessed of marvellous powers, among which were the ability to answer his call and by its flight to direct his journey.

この矢は一種の護符で、不思議な力を備えていた。そのなかには、呼べば答える力や、その飛びゆく先で旅路を示す力があった。

Thus he descended over the rough clinker lava and through the groves of koa that cover the southwestern flank of the mountain, until, nearing its base, he stood on a distant hill; and consulting his arrow, he shot it far into the air, watching its bird-like flight until it struck on a distant hill above Kailua. To this hill he rapidly directed his steps, and, picking up his arrow in due time, he again shot it into the air. The second flight landed the arrow near the coast of Holualoa, some six or eight miles south of Kailua. It struck on a barren waste of pahoehoe, or lava rock, beside the waterhole of Waikalai, known also as the Wai a Hiku (Water of Hiku), where to this day all the people of that vicinity go to get their water for man and beast.

こうしてヒクは、ごつごつした滓の溶岩を越え、山の南西の斜面を覆うコアの木立を抜けて下っていき、ふもと近くまで来ると、遠くの丘に立った。そして矢に問うてそれを空高く放ち、鳥のように飛ぶのを見守ると、矢はカイルアの上手の遠い丘に当たった。ヒクは足早にその丘へ向かい、しかるべきときに矢を拾い上げて、また空へ放った。二度目の飛翔で、矢はカイルアの南六マイルか八マイルほどのホルアロアの海辺近くに落ちた。それはパホエホエ、すなわち溶岩の荒れ果てた広がりの上、ワイカライの水場のかたわらだった。そこはワイ・ア・ヒク(ヒクの水)としても知られ、今日でもあのあたりの人々はみな、人と家畜の水をそこへ汲みに行く。

Here he quenched his thirst, and nearing the village of Holualoa, again shot the arrow, which, instinct with life, entered the courtyard of the alii or chief, of Kona, and from among the women who were there singled out the fair princess Kawelu, and landed at her feet. Seeing the noble bearing of Hiku as he approached to claim his arrow, she stealthily hid it and challenged him to find it. Then Hiku called to the arrow, "Pua ne! Pua ne!" and the arrow replied, "Ne!" thus revealing its hiding-place.

ヒクはここで渇きを癒やし、ホルアロアの村に近づくとまた矢を放った。矢は命を宿しているかのようにコナのアリイ、すなわち首長の中庭に入り、そこにいた女たちのなかから美しい王女カヴェルを選び出して、その足もとに落ちた。カヴェルは、矢を取り返しに来るヒクの気高いふるまいを見て、こっそりと矢を隠し、見つけてごらんなさいと挑んだ。するとヒクは矢に呼びかけた。「プア・ネ! プア・ネ!」すると矢は「ネ!」と答え、こうして隠し場所を明かした。

This exploit with the arrow and the remarkable grace and personal beauty of the young man quite won the heart of the princess, and she was soon possessed by a strong passion for him, and determined to make him her husband.

この矢の妙技と、若者の並はずれた優美さと美しさは、王女の心をすっかりとらえた。王女はまもなくヒクへの強い思いに取りつかれ、この人を夫にしようと心を決めた。

With her wily arts she detained him for several days at her home, and when at last he was about to start for the mountain, she shut him up in the house and thus detained him by force. But the words of his mother, warning him not to remain too long, came to his mind, and he determined to break away from his prison. So he climbed up to the roof, and removing a portion of the thatch, made his escape.

王女はさまざまな手練手管でヒクを幾日も自分の家に引きとめ、とうとうヒクが山へ帰ろうとすると、家に閉じ込めて力ずくで引きとめた。けれども、あまり長居をするなという母の言葉が心に浮かび、ヒクはこの牢を破ろうと心を決めた。そこで屋根によじ登り、葺いた草の一部を取り除いて逃げ出した。

When his flight was discovered by Kawelu, the infatuated girl was distracted with grief. Refusing to be comforted, she tasted no food, and ere many days had passed was quite dead. Messengers were despatched who brought back the unhappy Hiku, author of all this sorrow. Bitterly he wept over the corpse of his beloved, but it was now too late; the spirit had departed to the nether world, ruled over by Milu. And now, stung by the reproaches of her kindred and friends for his desertion, and urged on by his real love for the fair one, he resolved to attempt the perilous descent into the nether world and, if possible, to bring her spirit back.

ヒクが逃げたことをカヴェルが知ると、思いつめたこの娘は悲しみに我を忘れた。慰められることを拒み、食べ物も口にせず、幾日もたたぬうちに死んでしまった。使いが遣わされ、この悲しみのもとであるみじめなヒクが連れ戻された。ヒクは愛する人の亡骸の上で激しく泣いたが、今はもう遅かった。魂はミルの治める下の世へ去っていたのである。そして今、見捨てたことを親族や友らに責められ、また美しい人への真の愛に駆り立てられて、ヒクは、危険をおかして下の世へ降り、できることなら彼女の魂を連れ帰ろうと心を決めた。

With the assistance of her friends, he collected from the mountain slope a great quantity of the kowali, or convolvulus vine. He also prepared a hollow cocoanut shell, splitting it into two closely fitting parts. Then anointing himself with a mixture of rancid cocoanut and kukui oil, which gave him a very strong corpse-like odor, he started with his companions in the well-loaded canoes for a point in the sea where the sky comes down to meet the water.

友人たちの助けを借りて、ヒクは山の斜面からコワリ、すなわち昼顔の蔓を大量に集めた。また中身を抜いた椰子の実の殻を用意し、それをぴたりと合わさる二つに割った。それから、腐りかけた椰子油とククイ油を混ぜたものを体に塗って、たいそう強い死骸の臭いを身にまとい、荷を積んだ舟に乗って仲間とともに、空が水と出会う海の一点へ向けて出発した。

Arrived at the spot, he directed his comrades to lower him into the abyss called by the Hawaiians the Lua o Milu. Taking with him his cocoanut-shell and seating himself astride of the cross-stick of the swing, or kowali, he was quickly lowered down by the long rope of kowali vines held by his friends in the canoe above.

その場所に着くと、ヒクは仲間たちに、ハワイの人がルア・オ・ミル(ミルの穴)と呼ぶ深淵へ自分を降ろすように言いつけた。椰子の殻を携え、ぶらんこ、すなわちコワリの横木にまたがって腰かけると、ヒクは、上の舟にいる友らが握るコワリの蔓の長い綱で、すみやかに降ろされていった。

Soon he entered the great cavern where the shades of the departed were gathered together. As he came among them, their curiosity was aroused to learn who he was. And he heard many remarks, such as "Whew! what an odor this corpse emits!" "He must have been long dead." He had rather overdone the matter of the rancid oil. Even Milu himself, as he sat on the bank watching the crowd, was completely deceived by the stratagem, for otherwise he never would have permitted this bold descent of a living man into his gloomy abode.

まもなくヒクは、去った者たちの影が集う大きな洞穴に入った。そのなかへ入っていくと、影たちは彼が誰なのかと好奇心をかき立てられた。そしてヒクは、こんなつぶやきをいくつも耳にした。「うわあ、この死骸のなんという臭いだ!」「死んでから長いにちがいない。」腐った油はいささかやりすぎだったのである。岸辺に座って群れを眺めていたミル自身でさえ、この策にすっかり欺かれた。そうでなければ、生きた人間が自分の陰鬱な住まいへ大胆に降りてくるのを、決して許しはしなかったであろう。

The Hawaiian swing, it should be remarked, unlike ours, has but one rope supporting the cross-stick on which the person is seated. Hiku and his swing attracted considerable attention from the lookers-on. One shade in particular watched him most intently; it was his sweetheart, Kawelu. A mutual recognition took place, and with the permission of Milu she darted up to him and swung with him on the kowali. But even she had to avert her face on account of his corpse-like odor. As they were enjoying together this favorite Hawaiian pastime of lele kowali, by a preconcerted signal the friends above were informed of the success of his ruse and were now rapidly drawing them up. At first she was too much absorbed in the sport to notice this. When at length her attention was aroused by seeing the great distance of those beneath her, like a butterfly she was about to flit away, when the crafty Hiku, who was ever on the alert, clapped the cocoanut-shells together, imprisoning her within them, and was then quickly drawn up to the canoes above.

断っておくと、ハワイのぶらんこはわれわれのものと違って、人が腰かける横木を支える綱が一本しかない。ヒクとそのぶらんこは、見物する者たちの目をずいぶん引いた。とりわけ一つの影が、たいそう熱心にヒクを見つめていた。それは恋人のカヴェルだった。二人は互いにそれと気づき、カヴェルはミルの許しを得てヒクのもとへ飛んでゆき、コワリで一緒に揺れた。けれども彼女でさえ、その死骸の臭いのために顔をそむけねばならなかった。二人がこのハワイで好まれるレレ・コワリという遊びを楽しんでいると、あらかじめ決めておいた合図で上の友らに策の成功が伝えられ、二人は今や急いで引き上げられていった。はじめカヴェルは遊びに夢中で、それに気づかなかった。やがて下にいる者たちがひどく遠くなっているのを見て気づき、蝶のようにひらりと逃げ去ろうとしたそのとき、たえず気を配っていた抜け目のないヒクは、椰子の殻を打ち合わせて彼女をそのなかに閉じ込め、そのまますばやく上の舟へ引き上げられた。

With their precious burden, they returned to the shores of Holualoa, where Hiku landed and at once repaired to the house where still lay the body of his beloved. Kneeling by its side, he made a hole in the great toe of the left foot, into which with great difficulty he forced the reluctant spirit, and in spite of its desperate struggles he tied up the wound so that it could not escape from the cold, clammy flesh in which it was now imprisoned. Then he began to lomilomi, or rub and chafe the foot, working the spirit further and further up the limb.

一行はこの貴い荷とともにホルアロアの岸へ戻った。ヒクは上陸するとただちに、愛する人の亡骸がまだ横たわる家へ急いだ。そのかたわらにひざまずき、左足の親指に穴をあけ、たいそう苦労してそこへ嫌がる魂を押し込み、必死にもがくのもかまわず傷口を縛って、今や閉じ込められた冷たく湿った肉から逃げ出せないようにした。それからロミロミを始め、足をさすり揉んで、魂を手足の上へ上へと少しずつ送っていった。

Gradually, as the heart was reached, the blood began once more to flow through the body, the chest began gently to heave with the breath of life, and soon the spirit gazed out through the eyes. Kawelu was now restored to consciousness, and seeing her beloved Hiku bending tenderly over her, she opened her lips and said: "How could you be so cruel as to leave me?"

やがて心の臓まで届くと、血がふたたび体をめぐりはじめ、胸が命の息でそっと上下しはじめ、まもなく魂は目を通して外を見た。カヴェルはこうして意識を取り戻し、愛するヒクが優しく自分の上にかがみ込んでいるのを見て、唇を開いて言った。「どうしてあんなにむごく、わたしを置いていったの。」

All remembrance of the Lua o Milu and of her meeting him there had disappeared, and she took up the thread of consciousness just where she had left it a few days before at death. Great joy filled the hearts of the people of Holualoa as they welcomed back to their midst the fair Kawelu and the hero, Hiku, from whom she was no more to be separated.

ルア・オ・ミルのことも、そこでヒクに会ったことも、記憶からすっかり消えていた。カヴェルは、数日前に死によって手放した意識の糸を、ちょうどそのところから取り上げたのである。ホルアロアの人々の心は大きな喜びに満たされ、美しいカヴェルと、もはや彼女と離れることのない英雄ヒクを、ふたたび自分たちのもとに迎えた。

LOCATION OF THE LUA O MILU

ルア・オ・ミルのありか

In the myth of Hiku and Kawelu, the entrance to the Lua o Milu is placed out to sea opposite Holualoa and a few miles south of Kailua. But the more usual account of the natives is, that it was situated at the mouth of the great valley of Waipio, in a place called Keoni, where the sands have long since covered up and concealed from view this passage from the upper to the nether world.

ヒクとカヴェルの神話では、ルア・オ・ミルの入口はホルアロアの沖、カイルアの南数マイルの海に置かれている。けれども土地の人々のより一般的な伝えでは、それはワイピオの大きな谷の谷口の、ケオニと呼ばれる場所にあったという。そこでは砂がとうの昔に、この上の世から下の世への通り道を覆い隠してしまった。

Every year, so it is told, the procession of ghosts called by the natives Oio, marches in solemn state down the Mahiki road, and at this point enters the Lua o Milu. A man, recently living in Waimea, of the best reputation for veracity, stated that about thirty or more years ago, he actually saw this ghostly company. He was walking up this road in the evening, when he saw at a distance the Oio appear, and knowing that should they encounter him his death would be inevitable, he discreetly hid himself behind a tree and, trembling with fear, gazed in silence at the dread spectacle. There was Kamehameha, the conqueror, with all his chiefs and warriors in military array, thousands of heroes who had won renown in the olden time. Though all were silent as the grave, they kept perfect step as they marched along, and passing through the woods down to Waipio, disappeared from his view.

言い伝えによれば、毎年、土地の人々がオイオと呼ぶ亡霊の行列が、おごそかにマヒキの道を下り、この地点でルア・オ・ミルに入るという。最近までワイマエアに住んでいた、真実を語ることでこのうえない評判のある男が、三十年かそれ以上前に、実際にこの亡霊の一行を見たと語った。男は夕暮れにこの道を上っていたが、遠くにオイオが現れるのを見た。出くわせば死は避けられないと知っていたので、男は用心深く木の陰に隠れ、恐ろしさに震えながら、黙ってその恐るべき光景を見つめた。そこには征服者カメハメハがいて、首長も戦士もみな軍列を組み、いにしえに名を挙げた幾千の英雄たちがいた。みな墓のように黙していたが、進みゆく足どりは寸分の乱れもなく、森を抜けてワイピオへ下り、男の目から消え去った。

In connection with the foregoing, Professor W. D. Alexander kindly contributes the following:

右のことに関して、W・D・アレクサンダー教授が次の文を寄せてくださった。

"The valley of Waipio is a place frequently celebrated in the songs and traditions of Hawaii, as having been the abode of Akea and Milu, the first kings of the island....

「ワイピオの谷は、島の最初の王であるアケアとミルの住まいであった場所として、ハワイの歌や言い伝えにしばしば称えられる……

"Some said that the souls of the departed went to the Po (place of night), and were annihilated or eaten by the gods there. Others said that some went to the regions of Akea and Milu. Akea (Wakea), they said, was the first king of Hawaii. At the expiration of his reign, which terminated with his life at Waipio, where we then were, he descended to a region far below, called Kapapahanaumoku (the island bearing rock or stratum), and founded a kingdom there. Milu, who was his successor, and reigned in Hamakua, descended, when he died, to Akea and shared the government of the place with him. Their land is a place of darkness; their food lizards and butterflies. There are several streams of water, of which they drink, and some said that there were large kahilis and wide-spreading kou trees, beneath which they reclined." [4]

「去った者の魂はポ(夜の場所)へ行き、そこで滅ぼされるか神々に食われるのだと言う者もあった。ある者はアケアとミルの領分へ行くのだと言う者もあった。アケア(ワケア)はハワイの最初の王であったという。その治世は、われわれが当時いたワイピオでの生涯とともに終わり、王はカパパハナウモク(島を生む岩、すなわち地層)と呼ばれる、はるか下方の領分へ降って、そこに王国を建てた。その跡を継ぎ、ハマクアで治めたミルは、死ぬとアケアのもとへ降り、その地の支配をともにした。彼らの国は闇の場所であり、その食べ物は蜥蜴と蝶である。いくつかの水の流れがあってそれを飲む。また大きなカヒリ(羽根飾りの標)と枝を広げたコウの木があって、その下に身を横たえるのだと言う者もあった。」[4]

"They had some very indistinct notion of a future state of happiness and of misery. They said that, after death, the ghost went first to the region of Wakea, the name of their first reputed progenitor, and if it had observed the religious rites and ceremonies, was entertained and allowed to remain there. That was a place of houses, comforts, and pleasures. If the soul had failed to be religious, it found no one there to entertain it, and was forced to take a desperate leap into a place of misery below, called Milu.

「彼らは、来世の幸いと苦しみについて、たいそうぼんやりとした考えを持っていた。彼らが言うには、死んだのち亡霊はまず、最初の先祖とされるワケアの領分へ行き、宗教の儀式と作法を守っていたなら、もてなされてそこにとどまることを許される。そこは家と安楽と楽しみの場所である。もし魂が信心を欠いていたなら、もてなす者は誰もおらず、下方のミルと呼ばれる苦しみの場所へ、やけになって跳び込まざるをえない。

"There were several precipices, from the verge of which the unhappy ghosts were supposed to take the leap into the region of woe; three in particular, one at the northern extremity of Hawaii, one at the western termination of Maui, and the third at the northern point of Oahu." [5]

「いくつかの断崖があって、不幸な亡霊はその縁から嘆きの領分へ跳ぶのだと考えられていた。とりわけ三つあり、ひとつはハワイ島の北の端、ひとつはマウイ島の西の果て、三つ目はオアフ島の北の突端である。」[5]

Near the northwest point of Oahu is a rock called Leina Kauhane, where the souls of the dead descended into Hades. In New Zealand the same term, "Reinga" (the leaping place), is applied to the North Cape. The Marquesans have a similar belief in regard to the northermost island of their group, and apply the same term, "Reinga," to their Avernus.

オアフ島の北西の突端の近くにレイナ・カウハネと呼ばれる岩があり、死者の魂はそこから黄泉へ降りた。ニュージーランドでは同じ言葉「レインガ」(跳ぶ場所)が北岬に用いられている。マルケサスの人々も、自分たちの島々のいちばん北の島について同じような信を持ち、その黄泉の入口に同じ「レインガ」の語を用いている。